Wrench.



PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

F. EL

APPLICATION 1" LIS.

ENCH. Y

ILED MAY 27. 1907. k

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@vi/humus Um TED sTATEs- PATENT OFFICE.

FRIH') ELLIS, 011 FOURCHE, ARKANSAS.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1s, 190e.

Application filed May 27. 1907. Serial No. 375,885.

To all whom it may concern.'

Bo it known that I, FRED ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fourche, in the county of Perry and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly -t'o that class known as ratchet Wrenches, in which one jaw is Inovable. A

The object of my invention is to rovide wrench of this character which sha l be simple and strong, cheap to manufacture, and reliable in operation. Y

With the above and other objects in view myv invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and illustratedl in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ol' the coinstandard construction, and is not to be confounded with pipe Aand similar wrenches jaws, as the operation is distinctly diiierent.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved wrench comprises the usual handle 1, and bifurcated head 2, forming the jawsB, 4. I Lying against the inside of jaw 3 1s a sliding head block 5, having formed integral therewith an undercut or dove-tailed spline, 6, adapted to fit in a corresponding groove in the jaw 3. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, this head block is of substantially rectangular shape, having a square shoulder 11,

at its rear,'which abuts against the rear wall 14, of vthe jaw opening. The spline 6, attached to the upper face of the block, terminates at its rear in a shank 8, adapted. to pass through an opening into a cylindrical chamber,13, formed in the head 2. A spring 10, surrounds the shank 8, and seats against the inner end of the chamber 13, and a nut 9, screws onto the end of shank 8, and confines -the spring, holding the same under comsition, a nut 12, to be turned, may be gripped between the inner face of block and `aW 4, as in an ordinary wrench. The inner ace of block 5, however, has formed therein a transverse notch, 7, of substantial V-shape, extending across the same, and by this means a ratchet action is secured.

When the outer end of the handle is moved upwardly (see Fig.4 2) the block 5 will jam and the wrench will hold, turning the nut. When, however, the handle is moved down again, a corner of the nut enters the notch 7, as shown in Fig. 3, and, upon further movement, the'sliding block is drawn outwardly, com 1essing the spring 10. This continues until 'the corner of the nut slips past the outer edge of the notch, and the block, urged by the spring 10, snaps back into position to engage the next succeeding face of the nut when the wrench is moved back again in the opposite direction. by moving or swinging the handle of the wrench back and forth, a continuous rotation is imparted to the nut. The advantages of this method of operation are numerous and obvious, since it enables a nut to be turnedl up in crowded corners, where there is not sufficient space for a full sweep of the wrench, and this without the trouble of removing the wrench from the nut and catching a fresh hold at each stroke.

This form of wrench will be found particularly useful to trackmen, for tightening the nuts on rail -oints, etc. By simply slipping the wrenc over the nut, and then vibrating the handle back and forth, the trackman is enabled to set or release a nut easily and rapidly.

What I claim is:

1. In a ratchet wrench, a bifurcated head forming a pair of aws, a sliding block fitted to one jaw, and provided with a transverse notch, and means for retracting said block when displaced from normal position.

2. In a ratchet wrench, a head having square faced jaws for the reception of a nut, one jaw carrying a sliding block having a transverse notch adapted to coperate with a corner of said nut, said block being provided With a square shoulder arranged-to abut against the rear Wall of the jaw opening, and means'urging said block against said rear Thus it will be seen that aving a spline secured thereto, terminatingv behind in n Shank, a. cylindrical chamber, my hand in presence of two subscribing witopen nit the rixul, folrmed in said head, and nessesl into W lich snit s mn i extends a s rin0r l 'in T i in said chamber and surrounding sliiid hml, FRED ELLIS' 5 and a nut carried by the end of said shank, Witnesses:

and adapted to slide within said chamber. WM. L. BOURLAND,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set J. E. WILLIAMS. 

